The first five books of the Hebrew Bible, known as the Torah (also called the Pentateuch), are included in the Christian Old Testament for a few key reasons rooted in the history of Christianity and its relationship to Judaism:
* Historical and Theological Foundation: Christianity emerged from within Judaism. Early Christians were Jewish and viewed the Torah as sacred scripture and the foundation of their faith. They saw Jesus as the Messiah prophesied within the Torah and Hebrew Bible. Therefore, the Torah was essential to understanding the origins and basis of their new faith.
* Continuity and Fulfillment: Early Christians believed that Jesus fulfilled the prophecies and covenants made in the Old Testament, particularly the Torah. By including the Torah, they affirmed the continuity between the Old and New Testaments, seeing the latter as the culmination and realization of the former.
* Moral and Ethical Teachings: The Torah contains fundamental moral and ethical principles, laws, and commandments that are still considered relevant and important in Christianity. While some laws were understood to be specifically for the Jewish people, others were seen as universally applicable moral guidelines.
* Authoritative Scripture: The Torah was already recognized as authoritative scripture by Jews during the time of Jesus. Early Christians, being mostly Jewish, naturally accepted it as such.
* Septuagint Translation: The Septuagint (LXX) is a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible produced in the centuries before Jesus. This translation was widely used by Jews in the diaspora and was the version most familiar to many early Christians. When Christianity spread among Greek-speaking populations, the Septuagint became the standard version of the Old Testament.
In essence, the inclusion of the Torah in the Christian Old Testament reflects the historical connection between Judaism and Christianity, the belief in the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies in Jesus, and the continuing relevance of the Torah's moral and ethical teachings.